Editorial:Kayak Adventures

June-July 1999

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web

by Alan Wilson

Cover Photo: Nuchatlitz, Nootka Sound by Howard Stiff

When we put out the word that we were looking for stories of Kayak Adventures, we were swamped with submissions. In this issue we present some of the stories that came our way, including:

. What happens when an overworked professional kayak guide needs a holiday? Bill Chalmers writes of his renewal at Cape St. James on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

. What happens when a veteran adventurer reaches 50? Rick Hudson takes a voyage with a mothership kayaking operation on BC's wild Central Coast.

. What happens when a bush pilot drops his clients in the wrong spot? Marjorie Simms offers her submission to our Kayak Calamity contest.

. What happens when you meet your first whale eye to eye? Chrystal Kleiman writes about an inspiring orca encounter.

We also include articles about other mothership kayaking operations ( The Columbia and Taroa), spring paddling in Alaska, west coast Marine Trails, plus a multi-page Guide to Kayak Adventures, as well as our usual columns and features.

PROTECTING THE ADVENTURE

The BC government knows that adventure tourism plays a key role in the BC economy. Tourism as a whole is our biggest employer. Adventure tourism, such as wilderness paddling, represents the ultimate tourism experience-the very essence of our province's reputation as an international destination.

Knowing this, the government has defended both tourism and our marine ecosystems by maintaining the moratorium on salmon aquaculture for almost four years. Throughout this time, it has resisted lobbying by international corporations and intense political and economic pressures.

While the fish farm industry has been held at bay, evidence of the danger of the industry has accumulated from around BC, Washington and wherever fish are farmed.

The warnings about drugs, disease, and displacement of wild Pacific Salmon by Atlantic farmed salmon have been borne out, despite industry assurances that these problems could never happen here.

While the federal Fisheries department has shamelessly promoted fish farming, the BC government has held the line. In February BC will make a policy announcement on the moratorium and we need to tell government to maintain the moratorium. We urge you to call the premier's office or visit the website Georgia Strait Allaince . Five "Fish Farm Fiasco" factsheets are available there to provide background to the main issues.

A new development in this issue is already appearing on the market with the advent of prime wild Pacific salmon under the "Trollers' Pride" label-available year round. Reliability of supply has been farmed salmon's only good point until now. No wonder major restaurants are turning to undrugged wild salmon.

In fact, buying wild salmon is the best way to support our coastal communities, the fishing industry, wild fish and our environment. There is still an abundance of wild fish in our waters and with care (habitat restoration and responsible fisheries management) we can rebuild threatened stocks.

If you don't want to wake up one day and find the coast peppered with noisy, smelly, disease-ridden fish pens, tell the government so-in BC, Washington and elsewhere.

Make sure you 'vote' for wild fish, a wild environment, and a future for wilderness paddling when buying fish or ordering seafood. Be sure to ask your server, "Is it wild or farmed?" Remember, wild salmon don't do drugs.